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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
Emma Kemp in Doha

Socceroos put fandom to one side in bid to foil Lionel Messi and Argentina

Lionel Messi Socceroos Argentina Milos Degenek Miloš Degenek World Cup Australia Graham Arnold France
‘There’s not 11 Messis, there’s one,’ says Australia defender Milos Degenek ahead of their last-16 clash.
‘There’s not 11 Messis, there’s one,’ says Australia defender Milos Degenek ahead of their last-16 clash. Photograph: Foto Olimpik/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock

In Doha, the World Cup is Lionel Messi. Or, Lionel Messi is the World Cup. It’s hard to tell which at this point – the city is saturated with him. Messi is the face of billboards and the blue and white of flags. He is rip-off merch and dodgy Photoshop jobs, and every second No 10 shirt in the streets (hi, Diego).

Last Tuesday he was the “Where’s Messi” chants of Saudi Arabia fans at the Metro, and on Saturday the honks of car horns when he scored against Mexico. On Wednesday – even after missing a penalty against Poland – he was cheered from the stands made of 974 shipping containers.

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